As Beth mentions in her personal post, last year was a struggle for people like us who invested so much time and energy on ways to use social media for social good over the last decade. Our assumption was that the good parts of being connected and in conversation with other people online and on land outweighed the bad parts of filter bubbles and trolls. But last year didn’t feel that way. Last year made me want to abandon online life.

In December, Beth and I began to talk about what’s next and how it might, or at least could, feel better. And that’s how this first article about the Age of Automation. We are cautiously optimistic about the power of robots to help people. But we also recognize the real possibility that we may make the same mistakes again; leaving too much unchecked power in the hands of private corporations to own public spaces and our lives.

So, give a read and let us know if you have any thoughts on where we go from here.

I remain cautiously optimistic than when our backs are against the wall – as they are now – we will fight our way to a more just world.